This invention relates to database management systems, database management methods, database management apparatus, and database management program products for adding file attachments and non-database objects, such as, text file data, web file data, image file data, and other file attachment objects to databases. The text data, web based data, and other objects may be retrieved when the data to which they relate is retrieved.
Relational databases are a commonly-employed data structure for representing data in a business or other environment. A relational database represents data in the form of a collection of two-dimensional tables. Each table comprises a series of cells arranged in rows and columns. Typically, a row in a table represents a particular observation. A column represents either a data field or a pointer to a row in another table.
For example, a database describing an organizational structure may have one table to describe each position in the organization, and another table to describe each employee in the organization. The employee table may include information specific to the employee, such as name, employee number, age, salary, etc. The position table may include information specific to the position, such as the position title (xe2x80x9csalesmanxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cvice presidentxe2x80x9d, etc.), a salary range, and the like. The tables may be related by, for example, providing in each row of the employee table a pointer to a particular row in the position table, coordinated so that, for each row in the employee table, there is a pointer to the particular row in the position table that describes that employee""s position. A relational database management system (RDBMS) supports xe2x80x9cjoiningxe2x80x9d these tables in response to a query from a user, so that the user making a query about, for example, a particular employee, may be provided with a report of the selected employee, including not only the information in the employee table, but also the information in the related position table.
Relational databases may be much more complex than this example, with several tables and a multiplicity of relations among them. Moreover, it is frequently desirable to add other objects, such as text data files, image data files, Web data files, and the like, to such databases.
With the widespread use of inexpensive portable computers, it is advantageous to replicate a database onto a portable computer for reference at locations remote from the central computer. The replicated database may then be referenced by the user of the portable computer, without requiring reference to the main database, which may be maintained at a central location inconvenient to the user of the portable computer. However, there are a number of difficulties with the use of a replicated database.
One disadvantage is that a full copy of the central database may require more data storage than is desired or economical. For example, a salesman working in the field may need to refer to the database for information regarding sales opportunities in his sales area, but have no need to refer to any information regarding sales opportunities outside of his area.
One possible approach to reduce the amount of required data storage is to simply replicate only that portion of the database that is needed by the user. However, this approach does not recognize that the criteria to determine which portions of the data are required is likely to vary over time. For example, the salesman may have a new city added to his territory. Under conventional approaches, the salesman would need to re-replicate his local copy of the database, this time selecting data including the added city. Such a practice is inconvenient, subject to error, and time-consuming.
A further disadvantage to a replicated database is the difficulties encountered in attempting to update data using the replicated copy. A change made to the replicated database is not made to the central database, leading to a discrepancy between the information that is stored in the replicated copy of the database and the information that is stored in the central database. Although it is possible to journal modifications made to the replicated copy and apply an identical modification to the central database, one problem that this approach faces is the possibility of colliding updates; that is, where a user of a replicated copy makes a change to data that is also changed by a user of the central copy or by the user of another replicated copy.
A still further disadvantage of many database management systems is the difficulty of adding text data file attachments, image data file attachments, web based data file attachments, and other objects to relational databases.
It is therefore desirable to provide a capability to maintain one or more partially-replicated copies of a central database, in such a way that the degree of replication may be easily changed without requiring a refresh of the entire replicated database, and that permits updates to be coordinated among users of the central database and users of the partially replicated databases. It is especially desirable to allow updates by the attachments of objects to the database, which objects can be retrieved along with the data items to which they relate.
It is a primary object of our invention to enable users to attach file attachments, including text data file attachments, image data file attachments, Web based data file attachments, and the like, to any business object that a developer or configurator chooses.
It is a further primary object of our invention to automatically replicate file attachments to all docking clients that have visibility to the business object. This is to enable users to update files on any databasexe2x80x94server or mobilexe2x80x94and synchronize the files among all databases.
It is a still further primary object of our invention to enable mobile users to defer downloading of files, and in this way minimize connect time. This allows mobile users to request the deferred files in future docking sessions.
It is still a further primary object of our invention to provide software platform having a pre-defined, specialized business component that supports creating, updating and deleting file attachments. This is to permit developers and configurators to easily enable 20 file attachments on any business object by creating an applet that uses this specialized business component and adding the applet.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by the method, system, apparatus, and program product of our invention.
Thus, according to our invention users may attach non-database objects, such as files and file attachments to any business object that a developer or configurator chooses. Our invention further provides for automatic replication of file attachments to all docking clients that have visibility to the business object. This is to enable users to update files and related non-database objects and attachments on any databasexe2x80x94server or mobilexe2x80x94and synchronize the files among all databases.
It is also possible, using the method and apparatus of our invention to enable mobile users to defer downloading of files and related non-database objects and attachments, and in this way minimize connect time. This allows mobile users to request the deferred files in future docking sessions.
It is also possible, using the method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention to provide a software platform having a pre-defined, specialized business component that supports creating, updating and deleting file attachments and non-database object files. This is to permit developers and configurators to easily enable file attachments on any business object by creating an applet that uses this specialized business component and adding the applet.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention supports the following file attachment attributes:
Multiple Versions. The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention allow users to create multiple versions of a file.
File attachments for any business object. The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention allows users to configure file attachments on any business object including service requests, opportunities, quotes, agreements, and the like.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention provide a business object tool for users to register any file. The business object tool supports object file teams so that one user can register a non-database object file or file attachment and add other users to the file team. All users on the file team can view the non-database object file or file attachment. The non-database object file or file attachment is automatically distributed to all users on the team.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention provide remote support for the following functions:
The system, apparatus, method, and program product of our invention provide support for distribution of literature and correspondence templates. This includes letting mobile users request literature, e.g., in the appropriate screen or menu, screen, download the requested literature in the next docking session, and distribute published literature and correspondence templates.
The system, method, apparatus, and program product of our invention automatically replicates file table rows and the associated file attachments or non-database file objects to docking clients that have visibility to the files. When the Transaction Router routes a file table row, it also writes information about the associated file attachments or non-database file objects to a suitable file. When a docking client sends or retrieves the transactions on file table rows, it also sends and retrieves the associated file attachments or non-database file objects for the file table row. When data merge applies file table rows to a database, it also copies the file to the local file system.
In a preferred exemplification, the system, method, apparatus, or program product of our invention replicates all associated files to regional databases.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention manages a database having at least one database table that has rows and columns. A row corresponds to a database object, and a column corresponds to an attribute of the object. An attribute is a reference to a non-database object file or a file attachment.
Ease of use by the end user. End users can easily create, update and delete files. Moreover, files are automatically replicated to docking clients. Ease of administration. Our invention provides several easy ways for administrators to register file attachments.
Developers and configurators can easily enable file attachments by using pre-built specialized business components, frames, and applets. In this way, developers and configurators do not need to write new code to take advantage of standard feature such as drag and drop, updating files, conflict resolution and the like.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention allows users to create files by copying external files that are stored in, for example, a file system or web page. Moreover, the method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention can automatically update the copy of the file from the original external file.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention allows different business objects to share the same copy of a file. For example, two service requests can share the same file; similarly, an opportunity and a service request can share the same file.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention supports attachments of local html files. To be noted is that html files frequently include other files.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention allows users to update files anywhere (i.e. while connected to the server database or a mobile client) and replicate the updated files to all docking clients that have visibility to the file. Docking resolves uniqueness and update conflicts among files to guarantee consistency across all databases.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention routes files to docking clients using visibility rules. Moreover, the method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention supports a robust set of visibility rules that determine which files are transferred to which nodes. These visibility rules include specifying all files of a certain type (e.g. published literature), user selected files (e.g. literature retrieval), files attached to a visible object (e.g. attachments to quotes, agreements, service requests and so on).
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention replicates files with their associated database transactions to guarantee transaction integrity on all docking clients.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention lets a mobile user to defer file downloads in docking session so users can reduce the duration of a docking session. For example, restrict file downloads to a maximum size, certain file types, etc.
Only mobile users can defer file downloads. Regional databases and server databases always get all files.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention lets mobile users request files that were deferred. Moreover, the method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention downloads the requested files in the next docking session. Downloading requested files must be fast and not burden the server database. If a file is deferred (i.e. there is a row in the local database saying the file exists, but the actual file is not available on the mobile client), the mobile user requests the file (by clicking on something) and the method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention retrieves the file in the next docking session.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention lets mobile users delete requested files from the mobile client""s local disk to minimize disk usage.
The method, apparatus, system, and program product of our invention supports file access from different data sources, for example, both connected users and a mobile user. In this regard, the server must be able to differentiate between which files are available and which files are not.
The system, method, apparatus, and program product of our invention must initialize files as well as data when extracting and initializing a docking client.
The system, method, apparatus, and program product of our invention distributes files to regional databases as well as mobile clients. This includes routing the files up from docking clients to server databases and vice versa.
According to our invention, users use a consistent user interface (i.e. a file attachment applet) to create, update and delete files. Developers and configurators can add a file attachment applet to any existing object. They can also enhance or override the behavior of the file attachment to suit their needs.
When a user creates a new data entry or file, the client function of our invention inserts a row in a table that stores information about files. These file tables store file information including the name, size, original source (e.g. the type and full path name of the source file) and docking statuses of the file. Developers and configurators must create a file table for each file attachment applet.
The client function also stores a copy of the file, with an internal name, in the file system. The data base management system may store each file in a compressed format to reduce disk usage. For connected users, the file system is a collection of directories on the file server, which is specified by a value in a file, as, for example, a configuration files. For mobile users, the file system typically resides on the mobile client""s local disk, typically under a suitable directory, for example, a client installation directory.
When a user accesses a file, the client uncompresses (if compressed) and copies the file from the file system to a temporary directory and invokes the appropriate program to display and edit the file (e.g. Microsoft Word). If the user modifies the file, the client updates the file information in the file table and copies the modified file from the temporary directory to the file system.
The system, method, apparatus, and program product of our invention lets mobile users defer downloading of selected files and those associated files, file attachments, and non-database file objects to minimize connect time. The mobile user specifies the files that he wants to defer by setting docking session preferences in a control file, for example, a file synchronize dialog box. For example, the mobile user may want to defer downloading files greater than 1 Ok. When the mobile user navigates to a screen that displays files, the client shows whether each file exists, the file does not exist or the file is out-of-date in the local file system.
The system, method, apparatus, and program product of our invention lets mobile users request files that were previously deferred or are out-of-date. Thus, the system, method, apparatus, or program product of our invention retrieves an up-to-date copy of the file in the next docking session.
The system, method, apparatus, and program product of our invention allows use of revisions to support concurrent access and transaction semantics.
The system, method, apparatus, and program product of our invention allows use of rules which control how a file attachment is deferred that are distinct from routing and conflict resolution rules.